Meet the People of Plumb Works: Kim Johnson
Employee Profile of Kim Johnson
Meet the People of Plumb Works: Kim Johnson
Growing up in Delaware, Plumb Works service technician Kim Johnson would sometimes tag along with his father, a commercial plumber who often worked in the demanding environments of hospitals and schools. From the time he was 12 years old, Kim would occasionally help out and learn at his father’s side. (At nearly 60, his father is still in the trade.) So it was no surprise that, after graduating, Kim followed in his father’s footsteps, getting a job with a commercial plumbing company in Delaware.
“It’s a good trade, with new challenges every day,” says Johnson. “I like working with my hands. You do a good job, and it shows for itself.”
He likes to work on cars, too, and on various projects around the house. He’s happiest when he has something interesting to fix or to build.
“I couldn't handle sitting in an office all day long,” he says. “I would lose my mind.”
Moving to Atlanta and Joining Plumb Works
After eight years working in Delaware, Johnson and his fiancée decided to move to Atlanta, where she had grown up. He reached out to Plumb Works and was hired before he left Delaware.
“I could tell they were a family company,” he says, “not like one of those big, nationwide operations. I could tell they cared about their customers and their employees as well.”
Once in Atlanta, his experience only confirmed his initial impression, and he found that Plumb Works customers had a similar character.
“They aren’t just looking for a cheap service,” he says, “they’re looking for a connection with someone knowledgeable, someone who will explain their recommendations and help them make an informed decision. They want quality work, and they understand you get what you pay for.”
Interesting Challenges in Older Homes
Compared to commercial plumbing, residential plumbing can offer a wider variety of interesting challenges. Johnson often finds himself in older homes and comes across many unique problems to solve.
“I had a crazy one earlier this week,” he says. “Whoever had plumbed the house hadn’t brought the main water line into an accessible point. Instead, they branched the line off and went under the garage floor with PVC, then brought copper pipes coming up out of the floor and into the house.”
The homeowner had recently received a water bill for more than $1,000. It became clear that there was a leak somewhere underground with no easy way to locate it, and no access to a main shutoff valve. Johnson estimated it was leaking 1-½ gallons per minute, like leaving a faucet on all the time.
“I got a leak locator out there the same day, and we spent 2-3 hours finding the leak underground,” says Johnson. “Then we were able to dig it up, cut out the broken pipe, and replace the pipe the right way.”
The leak was repaired, and Johnson redid the plumbing right so that any future repairs would be easier to address.
“We got that figured out,” he says. “Every day is a new challenge.”
Earning Customer Trust
Customers tend to stay with Plumb Works for the life of their home, and they recommend Plumb Works to their family and friends.
“One of my favorite customers,” says Johnson, “it seems like every time I go to his house, he argues with me a little about the estimate. But somehow I’m constantly doing work for other members of his family. I was just at his son-in-law’s house three weeks ago, so I guess he must like the work I do.”
The trust customers place in Plumb Works is earned over time through the work that we do.
“We do a good job for a fair price,” says Johnson, “and stand by our work. If for any reason I don’t get it right the first time, I’ll be back there myself, right away, to make sure it’s done right. That goes a long way.”
The Satisfaction of a Job Done Right
For Johnson, the most rewarding part of his job is the satisfaction of figuring out an interesting problem, fixing it the right way, finishing the job, then leaving everything clean.
“I’m very particular about that,” he says. “I like everything to be clean when I’m done. It probably comes from working in hospitals when I was with Dad.”
Whether in a hospital or a hundred-year-old home, he always wants to do things right.
To schedule a service or preventative maintenance call with Johnson or any of our veteran plumbers, contact us online or call 404-524-1825 anytime.
